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Monday, January 21, 2013

20 UNUSUAL USES OF GARLIC

Chew up a raw clove of garlic and you might
exhale noxious, eye-watering clouds of stink all day, but you’ll also repel
mosquitoes (and vampires), increase your immunity, heal cold sores, expel
parasites and maybe even get in the mood. Garlic is a broad-spectrum
antibiotic, killing bacteria, fungus, viruses and mold, so it’s an important
ally for natural health. Check out these 20 unusual and sometimes strange
alternative uses for garlic.

Acne

Slice
open a clove of raw, fresh garlic and apply it to breakouts as a home remedy
for acne. Your skin won’t smell terribly good, but the antibacterial properties
of garlic will help lessen the appearance of acne, even those deep acne cysts
that can otherwise be difficult to treat.

Pesticide

Whiteflies,
aphids, cabbage loopers and squash bugs. All of these creepy-crawlies and more
can totally decimate the beautiful organic garden you’ve been tending all
season. Ward them off with an all-natural garlic pesticide spray. Mince three
garlic cloves and let them sit in two tablespoons of mineral oil for 24 hours.
Then strain out the garlic and add the oil, along with a teaspoon of liquid
dish soap, to a pint of water in a spray bottle. Spray on infested plants.

Cold sore treatment

These
unsightly lesions always seem to pop up at the most inopportune times, like the
morning before a big date. Raw garlic may work just as well as commercial
medical treatments, though the acidity may cause discomfort at first. Cut a garlic
clove in half and place it directly on the cold sore for 10 minutes, several
times a day. Garlic supplements in capsule form may also speed up the healing
process.

Mosquito repellent

If
you don’t mind smelling like Italian dressing, garlic can work wonders in
warding off pesky mosquitoes without the use of DEET and other potentially
toxic chemicals. Try this oddball garlic mosquito spray: let a few minced
cloves of garlic infuse an ounce of mineral oil for 24 hours, strain, and mix
the garlic-scented oil with 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed
lemon juice. Strain again if necessary and pour into a spray bottle.

Glass repair

Did
you know that garlic juice is a natural adhesive? While it’s not up to any
major jobs, it can be used to fill in hairline cracks in glass and hold them
together. Crush a clove of garlic and rub its sticky, viscous juice into the
cracks and wipe away the excess.

Weight Loss Aid

Even
though it’s potent flavor may make you want to eat a lot of it, garlic actually
has weight loss properties, according tosome
research. Compounds found in garlic send your brain signals of
satiety, which will actually help you to feel full faster. It also boosts
metabolic function helping you to burn more calories as well.

Athlete’s foot

Garlic
is a potent natural antifungal, making it ideal for treating fungal infections
like irritating and itchy athlete’s foot. Add a few cloves of crushed garlic to
warm water in a foot bath and soak the affected foot for 30 minutes.

Ear infections

A
common folk remedy for centuries, garlic can indeed kill the bacteria that
cause ear infections. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should shove a clove of
garlic into your ear and hope for the best. Crush a clove of garlic with a
press and place it in a teaspoon of hot olive oil for five minutes. Strain,
allow to cool and drip a few drops at a time into your ear canal. You can also
purchase garlic oil made for this purpose at natural health food stores.

Splinter removal

Splinters
suck. They’re painful to remove, and sometimes they slice too far into the skin
to pull out. Instead of waiting for it to come out on its own, try this odd
trick: place a thin slice over the splinter and hold on with a bandage. The
garlic should help the splinter work its way out of the skin within hours.

Skin cleanser

It’s
not exactly common, but some women swear by using garlic as a facial cleanser
to dry out acne and tighten and exfoliate the skin. It will definitely burn, so
take care if you have any open wounds. Make a paste of finely mined garlic,
olive oil, facial cleanser and sugar; massage into skin in circular motions,
then rinse.

Gas prevention

High
in sulfur, garlic can be the culprit for uncomfortable stomach-distending gas
for some people, but for others, it can reportedly ease it. The trick may be
consuming it on a regular basis in order to maintain intestinal health. Garlic
kills harmful intestinal bacteria and promotes the growth of beneficial flora,
making digestion much smoother.

Yeast infections

At
the first sign of a yeast infection, many women around the world turn to a
rather unusual natural remedy: raw, peeled garlic cloves (not cut), typically
tied in a strip of cheesecloth and inserted with a tampon applicator. Garlic’s
antifungal properties go to work on the yeast, supposedly keeping the infection
at bay.

Fish bait

Garlic’s
strong smell may repel insects, but it has the opposite effect on fish. Yep,
that’s right, garlic cloves are recommended by some fisherman as an unusual
bait that can attract catfish, carp, trout, bass and other species.
Marshmallows or dough balls made from a mixture of crackers and cat food are
coated with crushed or powdered garlic and placed on a hook to lure the fish with
its scent.

Psoriasis relief

The
persistent tightness and itching of psoriasis could be eased or even prevented
by garlic’s anti-inflammatory properties. Active compounds in garlic interact
with arachidonic acid, an omega fatty acid in the skin linked to psoriasis.
Garlic oil may be rubbed directly on affected areas once or twice per day.

Cough syrup

Ease
inflammation in the throat and clear up excess mucus by using garlic as cough
syrup. Try steeping raw, minced garlic in hot water, straining it after five
minutes and drinking the liquid as tea; you can add ginger and honey to make it
more palatable.

Mole removal

This
method is almost certainly not recommended by dermatologists, and mole removal
is best left to medical professionals, especially since skin doctors can tell
upon excision whether the mole shows signs of malignancy. However, many people
choose to go it alone, and garlic oil – applied several times per day and covered
with a bandage – is an oft-repeated DIY route.

Cold banisher

Can
garlic cure and prevent colds naturally? It’s been in use for this purpose for
centuries, and there’s a good reason for that.Researchers believethat allicin, the main biologically
active component of garlic, could block enzymes that may impede bacterial and
viral infections. Eat three to four cloves of garlic per day, preferably raw
and crushed, adding them to soups, stews, pasta sauces and salad dressings.

Road de-icer

Garlic
is among the oddball solutions that many towns across the nation have been
dreaming up to de-ice roads in winter. Ankeny,
Iowa smelled awfully savory in
2008 when winter transportation crews spread garlic salt on the streets in
advance of snowstorms. The salt, apparently unfit for human consumption, was
donated by a local spice producer.

Hair loss help

Whether
you’ve over-dyed your hair to the point of constant shedding or you’re just
going bald, garlic may be worth a shot before you resort to more drastic
measures (or just buy a lot of hats.) Some people believe that massaging the
scalp with garlic oil stimulates hair growth.

Parasite killer

Many
alternative health practitioners advise using raw garlic to expel intestinal
parasites. Recommended as part of a cleansing diet that also includes raw
honey, lemon juice, pumpkin seeds, carrots and beets, garlic consumed in
quantities of about three cloves per day may help clear nasty organisms out of
the digestive tract.

Aphrodisiac

Does
garlic turn you on? You may not like the smell of it on someone else’s breath,
but it may incite lust once it makes its way into your stomach. Garlic has been
used as an aphrodisiac since ancient times, and modern medical knowledge may
have an explanation: it aids circulation, pumping blood to your extremities.
This effect might even increase men’s endurance in the bedroom.